


A Little Taste of Magic: A Ghost Stories On Route 66 Recipe Collection

by Nagaina



Series: Ghost Stories On Route 66 'Verse [3]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Completely Fluffy In Every Way, Other, Recipes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-05
Updated: 2019-11-05
Packaged: 2021-01-23 16:50:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,678
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21323470
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nagaina/pseuds/Nagaina
Summary: A compendium of recipes derived from the meals served during the course of Ghost Stories On Route 66.
Series: Ghost Stories On Route 66 'Verse [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/849924
Comments: 11
Kudos: 44





	A Little Taste of Magic: A Ghost Stories On Route 66 Recipe Collection

**Author's Note:**

> This work is dedicated to:
> 
> SadinaSaphrite, Soapasaurus, and Kitsune2022, who encouraged me every step of the way.

** _Breakfasts_ **

  
  


**Jesse’s Huevo a la Mexicana Breakfast Scramble**

Jesse learned this recipe at the knee of his Pop Pop Nate and it’s been a regular feature of breakfasts at both his house and the hacienda ever since, being equal parts healthy and a hearty way to start any day.

**Prep Time:** Approximately five to ten minutes

**Cook Time:** Approximately ten minutes

**Servings:** 2

4 large eggs

2 small Roma tomatoes

1 serrano chile or, if you prefer a milder bite, 1 jalapeno chile

¼ of a white onion

1 glove garlic

1 sprig cilantro (optional)

½ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon butter

  1. Crack eggs into a bowl and whisk together with a pinch of salt.

  1. Quarter and dice tomatoes into quarter-inch pieces.

  1. Dice onion into quarter-inch pieces.

  1. Finely dice garlic clove.

  1. Seed and derib serrano chile and dice fine. If you want the dish to be really hot, add a second serrano. If you want the dish to be milder in flavor and heat, use a jalapeno.

  1. If using the cilantro, rough chop.

  1. Using a nonstick pan, melt the tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and saute for one minute. Add the garlic and cook for one minute. Add the chile/s and cook for one minute. Add the tomatoes and cook for two minutes. Add the cilantro and a pinch of salt.

  1. Add the eggs to the pan. Allow to cook for two minutes, until partially set, and then stir until the eggs are just cooked. Adjust salt to taste.

Serve with a crumble of queso fresco and a dollop of homemade salsa, refried beans or bacon/sausage, warm tortillas or toast, orange wedges, and plenty of pinõn coffee.

  
  


**Gabe’s Simple Homemade Salsa**

Despite their rather significant differences in both personality and overall philosophy of magic, Gabe’s Granny Felicia passed this recipe down to her wayward  _ brujo _ grandson in the knowledge that wholesome food heals as well as any charm.

**Prep Time:** Approximately five minutes

**Cook Time:** Approximately ten minutes

**Yield:** 6 servings

6 Roma tomatoes, halved

1 medium white onion, quartered

2 serrano chiles, whole

2 cloves garlic, whole

6 sprigs cilantro

1 lime, juiced

1 teaspoon salt

  1. Heat a large skillet on high.

  1. Place all the vegetables, except the cilantro and the lime, in the skillet. Allow them to char, turning once. Remove from skillet and allow to cool.

  1. Juice your lime.

  1. Add all ingredients to a food processor, including lime, salt, and the sprigs of cilantro, and pulse gently until all ingredients are just incorporated.

Will keep for three days in the refrigerator.

  
  


**Hanzo’s Favorite Breakfast (aka That Fucking Natto, Jeez Aniki)**

One of Hanzo’s favorite comfort foods and the breakfast he often started the day with when he would rise before dawn to begin the rigorous studies demanded of him by his Great-Uncle Toshiro. After he moved to the southwest, he had some difficulty locating the primary ingredients until the owners of Sweetwater’s took pity and set him up with one of their suppliers.

**Prep Time:** Approximately 10 minutes

**Cook Time:** N/A

**Servings:** 1

1 individual package or 2 tablespoons natto

1 teaspoon soy sauce

Karashi (Japanese mustard), to taste

**Toppings, optional:**

1 tablespoon green onion, diced

3 shiso leaves, thinly sliced

Umeboshi (Japanese pickled plums), diced

1 tablespoon dried bonito flakes

  1. Mix the natto, soy sauce, and mustard together until strings form and the mixture thickens.

  1. Pour the natto mixture over a cup of freshly steamed rice or spread over a slice or two of thick toasted bread.

  1. Top with preferred toppings. Devour with a relish that traumatizes your entire household, none of whom can handle either the aroma or the texture.

  
  


**Genji’s Favorite Ochazuke**

Despite his club-hopping izakaya-rat social habits, Genji’s favorite anytime meal/snack is actually this fairly traditional dish, which Hanzo would prepare for him any time he asked for it back home in Hanamura. Genji has since returned the favor more than once, setting a bowl at his hard-working brother’s elbow and nagging him until he actually eats. Both of the brothers prefer their ochazuke made with tea but it’s also possible to make it with dashi, a savory Japanese soup broth.

**Prep Time:** Approximately five minutes

**Cook Time:** Approximately twenty-five minutes

**Servings:** 1

1 cup steamed short grain rice, freshly made

2 teaspoons green tea of choice (Genji prefers sencha, Hanzo prefers hojicha)

1 cup hot water at a temperature appropriate for your choice of tea

½ teaspoon soy sauce

**Toppings:**

1 salmon fillet, salted

2 stalks green onion, diced

1 teaspoon nori seaweed, shredded

¼ teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

Wasabi (optional)

Rice crackers (optional)

  1. Heat your oven to 400 degrees. Salt your salmon fillet and bake for 25 minutes on a foil lined sheet. When finished, remove the skin and any bones and break the filet into bite-sized flakes. Set aside.

  1. Steam your rice following the package instructions. Place in your serving bowl. Place your salmon and any other toppings you desire on the rice.

  1. Prepare your tea according to the package instructions. Do not over heat or over steep, as this can extract bitter flavors from the tea leaves.

  1. Add tea to the bowl until it covers half the rice. Add soy sauce if desired.

Serve with the remainder of the tea, a selection of pickled vegetables, and/or slices of melon.

  
  


**Hana’s Sovereign Old Country Cure For Hangovers Haejangguk**

Wild parties being the staple of undergraduate college life that they are, this recipe has come into play more than once in the Shimada-Correia dos Santos-Tekhartha-Song household. Since Hana is usually the one who doesn’t imbibe -- except that one time when she drank almost an entire bottle of birthday cake flavored vodka after she broke up with her asshole ex back home -- she’s almost always the one who makes it, though she did thank Genji for his reasonably decent attempt.

**Prep Time:** Approximately one hour

**Cook Time:** Approximately one half hour

**Yield:** At least five servings

2 heads baby napa cabbage (about one pound each)

3 tablespoons doenjang (Korean soybean paste)

2 tablespoons gochugaru (Korean red chili pepper flakes)

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon sesame oil

¾ cup bean sprouts

½ cup sliced zucchini

1 scallion, thinly sliced

1 mature red jalapeno, seeded and deribbed, thinly sliced

1 Anaheim pepper, seeded and deribbed, thinly sliced

5 cups beef stock (store-bought is  _ fine _ )

  1. Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Fill a large bowl with ice water. Blanch both whole cabbages in the boiling water for one minute, then place them in the ice water to stop the cooking. Drain thoroughly and cut into 2-inch pieces. Discard blanching water.

  1. In a large bowl combine the doenjang, gochugaru, soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, cabbage, bean sprouts, zucchini, scallion, and peppers, mixing well to thoroughly coat all ingredients. Allow to marinate at room temperature for at least fifteen minutes.

  1. Pour your ingredients into a large pot and add the beef stock. Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower to a simmer for ten minutes.

Serve with plain cooked rice alone (if people are actively ready to hork from overindulgence) or with rice, kimchi, and pajeon with dipping sauce (if you’re just having a normal breakfast).

  
  


**Pajeon of Champions**

One of Hana’s favorite anytime foods, which her father would often make for her whether a gaming tourney went well  _ or _ badly. On late nights/early mornings, she’ll whip up a batch for the gang and serve them with dipping sauce and bowls of miso soup.

**Prep Time:** Approximately 15 minutes

**Cook Time:** Approximately 20 minutes

**Yields:** Approximately five servings

**For the dipping sauce:**

⅓ cup soy sauce

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

2 cloves garlic, peeled and grated

½ teaspoon gochujang (Korean red chile paste)

**For the pancakes:**

8 scallions, sliced into 1-inch pieces

1 large carrot, julienned

1 cup all purpose flour

2 tablespoons cornstarch

¼ teaspoon sugar

½ teaspoon salt

9 ounces cold sparkling water

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 large clove garlic, peeled and grated

3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided

  1. Combine sauce ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring gently, and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer until the mixture reduces and thickens slightly. Remove from heat and set aside.

  1. Prepare your vegetables.

  1. In a mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients, whisking thoroughly. Make a well in the center and pour in the sparkling water, egg, and grated garlic. Stir gently until just combined. Add half the scallions and carrots and fold into the batter.

  1. In a ten-inch skillet, heat half the vegetable oil over medium heat. When the oil is simmering, add half the batter and use a spatula to spread it toward the edges of the pan. Scatter half the remaining scallions and carrots over the raw batter and press them into place. Fry until the pancake is golden brown and the vegetables slightly charred. Slip and repeat for the other side, frying approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the pancake to drain on a paper towel lined plate.

  1. Add the remaining oil to the pan and repeat Step 4 with the remaining batter and vegetables.

Slice the pancakes into pieces and serve with the dipping sauce.

  
  
  


** _Entrees_ **

  
  


**Gabe’s Vaguely Alarming Venison Chili**

When Gabe and Jack finally came to rest in New Mexico, it was after spending years as wanted fugitives, and it was out of an abundance of caution, as well as the need for a place where their son could recover from his injuries in peace that led them to select the modern ghost town of Cerrillos as their fortress. Nestled in the hills along the ancient Turquoise Trail, part of the  _ El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro _ that once linked Santa Fe to Mexico City, it was one of many such towns abandoned and never resettled after the Omnic Crisis, it was convenient to both the city (for Jesse’s ongoing medical needs) and to a cluster of local freeholds occupied by rock-ribbed locals who refused to be run out by either the government or the weird occurrences common in the territory below the Red Line. 

Quickly adopted into this close-knit community, the Reyes-Morrisons found themselves the beneficiaries of its largesse as they put their own household and business in order, gifted fresh meat, game, and produce from the ranches and greenhouses of their neighbors. One of the first things Gabe learned to make was this dish, the recipe taught to him by a grizzled old craftworker-huntsman who made her home in the fringes of Santa Fe National Forest, who brought them regular gifts of venison and whom they hosted more than once over a cold autumn evening.

**Prep Time:** Approximately 1 hour

**Cook Time:** Approximately 3 hours

**Servings:** 10

12 - 16 dried ancho, guajillo, or pasilla chiles (use a mixture)

2 - 3 pounds ground venison

1 large onion, white or yellow, diced

6 - 8 cloves garlic, chopped

1 green bell pepper, seeded, chopped

1 yellow bell pepper, seeded, chopped

1 red bell pepper, seeded, chopped

2 tablespoons sweet or smoked paprika

2 tablespoons cumin

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1 tablespoon chipotle powder

2 - 3 tablespoons tomato paste

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup black coffee

1 quart beef or venison broth

1 40 ounce can of dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

Salt and pepper to taste

Optional toppings: chopped cilantro, chopped green onions, shredded cheese (cheddar, jack, queso seco).

  1. Seed and slice the chilies, then cover in one cup of boiling water. Allow to stand for at least one hour. Grind chilies to a puree with the soaking water and one cup of coffee, either by hand using a mortar and pestle (hard) or using a food processor (easy). Set aside.
  2. Brown the venison over high heat, stirring as occasionally. Drain if necessary, set aside.
  3. Saute the onion in the olive oil, stirring occasionally, approximately five minutes. Add the peppers, saute for approximately five minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic, saute for approximately one minute, stirring constantly.
  4. Return the venison to the pot. Add the paprika, cumin, coriander, and chipotle powder, one seasoning at a time, stirring thoroughly after to each to incorporate it into the mixture. 
  5. Add the tomato paste to the chile puree and add to the pot. Add sufficient beef or venison broth to fully cover all the ingredients, stir thoroughly.
  6. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook low and slow for three hours, partially covered, until the liquid reduces and the mixture thickens. Add the drained and rinsed kidney beans, stir, allowing the beans to heat through.

Serve with chopped cilantro, chopped green onion, and an assortment of shredded cheeses as toppings, with a pan of freshly baked cornbread and a platter of sliced melon on the side.

This recipe can also be made using regular ground beef or a mixture of ground beef and ground pork if ground venison is not available.

  
  


**Zenyatta’s Peanut Curry Chicken and/or Tofu**

Centuries of rootless wandering carried Tekhartha Zenyatta to every corner of the Earth -- though some corners he enjoyed, and lingered in, longer than others. This recipe is the result of his sojourn through the culinary landscape of the Indian subcontinent.

**Prep Time:** Approximately one hour

**Cook Time:** Approximately one hour

**Servings:** 10

**Spice Blend:**

2 tablespoons and 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt

1 tablespoon and 2 teaspoons ground coriander

1 tablespoon and 2 teaspoons ground cumin

¾ teaspoon ground turmeric

2 ½ teaspoons paprika

1 ¼ teaspoons cayenne pepper

Mix well in its own sealable container

**Marinade:**

4 cups chicken broth

1 ¾ cups plus two tablespoons unsweetened peanut butter

1 ¼ cups unflavored yogurt

**Proteins:**

6 ½ pounds boneless chicken breast, cut in one inch cubes

12 cups firm tofu, cubed

**Aromatics:**

2 ½ yellow onions, chopped

15 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons and 1 ½ teaspoons ginger, finely minced

**Vegetables:**

2 ½ pounds zucchini, cut into chunks

2 ½ red bell peppers, cut into chunks

2 ½ green poblano peppers, diced

1 ½ cups peanuts, roasted

5 limes, wedged

One small bunch cilantro, chopped, for garnish

**The night before:**

  1. Prepare spice blend, set aside.

  1. Mix chicken broth, unsweetened peanut butter, yogurt, set aside.

  1. Prepare proteins. Dust chicken and/or tofu cubes in 1 tablespoon of the spice blend. Place cubes in sealable containers and cover in marinade. Place in the refrigerator overnight.

**The day of:**

  1. Spray a small pan with cooking spray. Using high heat, and stirring constantly, toast the peanuts, no more than one or two minutes. Set aside well off the heat.

  1. Prepare aromatics and vegetables.

  1. Heat vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, saute until translucent. Add garlic and ginger and one teaspoon of spice blend, stirring constantly for one minute.

  1. Add protein and marinade to the pan, add remaining spice mixture. Bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer and allow the mixture to cook, stirring occasionally, for thirty minutes.

  1. Add vegetables and peanuts to the mixture, stirring to incorporate. Simmer for an additional 30 - 40 minutes, or until proteins and vegetables are fork-tender.

  
  


Serve over basmati rice, with lime wedges and chopped cilantro for garnish, with steamed broccoli and mango slices for sides.

  
  


**Basic Dashi Stock**

The foundation of many Japanese soups and hot pots, Hanzo learned how to make this stock from his elderly Grandmother Hanako, who passed down a number of recipes beloved of her son Toshiro to the grandson who was his apprentice and, later, his caretaker. Hanzo makes a batch every week for the members of his household to use in ochazuke or as a starter for the world’s best miso soup.

**Prep Time:** Approximately 5 minutes

**Cook Time:** Approximately 20 minutes

**Yield:** Approximately 3 ½ cups

⅓ ounce kombu (dried kelp) or 1 4 inch by 4 inch sheet, sliced in strips

⅓ ounce dried bonito flakes or 1 cup

4 cups water

  1. Slice your kombu sheet in strips and cut slits into the edges of the strips. This helps the kelp rehydrate and also releases more flavor into the water. Do not rinse the kombu and do not wipe away the white substance that coats it -- this is harmless and helps create the savory umami flavor.

  1. Place the kombu in a pitcher or bottle and cover with the water. Now you can do several things. The longer you allow the kombu to rehydrate, the deeper the flavor of your stock. It can be left to set out on the counter for 2 - 4 hours and this will produce an adequate rehydration of the kombu and some release of flavor into the water. You can also cold brew it overnight in the refrigerator.

  1. Whichever method you use, when you are ready to cook, pour the water and the kombu into your pot and set your burner to medium-low heat, bringing the water slowly to a near boil. Gently skim away any sediment that rises with a hand sieve.

  1. Just before the water begins boiling, remove the kombu. Leaving the kombu in the broth after it reaches a boil will extract strong bitter flavors and make the dashi unpleasantly slimy.

  1. Add the bonito flakes to the water and return to a boil, skimming occasionally if sediment rises. Once the water reaches a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer for thirty seconds and then turn the burner off. Allow the bonito flakes to sink to the bottom of the pot.

  1. Strain the dashi through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing the bonito flakes gently to extract as much liquid as possible, into your storage container. 

If not planning to use your dashi immediately, make certain your container is airtight for storage purposes. It will keep 3 to 5 days in the refrigerator and can be frozen for up to two weeks. 

  
  


**Great-Grandmother Sumiko’s Miso Soup Recipe**

The Shimada brothers’ Great-Grandmother Sumiko has been terrorizing visitors to the family shrine for decades now and with the advent of her dragon bondmate, she’s bidding to extend that reign into a full century. In gratitude for Hanzo’s efforts to enable this, she shared her personal miso soup recipe with him, which she credits for her significant longevity sans any supernatural involvement. Consisting primarily of ingredients from her vegetable garden, it can be enriched with the addition of clams or tofu.

**Prep Time:** Variable

**Cook Time:** Variable

**Yields:** Five servings

5 - 6 cups dashi

2 Japanese turnips, including greens, sliced

¼ boiled bamboo shoot, sliced

7 ounces snap peas, destringed, sliced in half diagonally

1 package semi-firm tofu, cubed

2 scallions, diced

3 - 5 tablespoons miso paste

  1. Prepare your vegetables. Cut off the ends, peel and dice the turnip. Dice the turnip greens. Slice the bamboo shoot into bite-sized pieces. Destring and slice the snap peas. Dice two scallions.

  1. Pour your dashi into your soup pot. Add turnips and bamboo shoot to the stock, cover, and bring to a boil over medium heat, keeping the lid slightly ajar to avoid boiling over.

  1. Reduce to a simmer. Scoop out a ladleful of the hot stock and pour into a mixing bowl. To the hot stock add the miso paste and stir gently with chopsticks or a fork to dissolve. Pour the dashi/miso mixture back into the pot.

  1. Add the snap peas, turnip greens, scallions, and tofu to the stock. Simmer until heated through. **_Do not allow the soup to return to a boil once the miso is added._** This destroys the flavor and aroma. 

Serve immediately with white rice, an assortment of pickles, and the main dish of your choosing.

  
  


**Rikimaru’s Spicy Shoyu Ramen As Reconstructed By Genji Shimada**

A specialty of the little restaurant down the street from Shimada Castle, this hearty, spicy dish is a favorite of both Shimada brothers, who would sneak out to have a bowl together and then play games at the arcade on those rare occasions when Genji could convince Hanzo to play hooky from his increasingly serious studies.

**Prep Time:** Approximately fifteen minutes

**Cook Time:** Approximately twenty minutes

**Yields:** 2 servings

2 packages of ramen noodles

**Soup:**

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

2 teaspoons doubanjiang (spicy chili bean paste)

2 cups chicken stock/broth (store-bought is fine)

2 cups dashi (homemade is best)

2 ½ tablespoons soy sauce

2 teaspoons sake

1 ½ teaspoons sea salt

1 teaspoon white sugar

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 ½ inches ginger root, peeled and minced

**Toppings:**

Soy sauce eggs*

Sliced shitake mushrooms

Julienned leeks

Bamboo Shoots

Chopped scallions

Shredded nori seaweed

Korean chili threads

Narutomaki slices

Braised pork belly slices 

Japanese chili oil*

  1. Prepare any toppings you want to use.

  1. Mince garlic and ginger.

  1. In your soup pot, bring the toasted sesame oil to a gentle simmer. Add minced garlic and ginger, saute until fragrant. Add the spicy chili sauce and saute for one minute. 

  1. Add the rest of your soup ingredients and bring the mixture to a simmer.

  1. Prepare your noodles according to the package instructions. Drain. Add to the soup. Simmer together for a few minutes.

Serve with your choice of toppings and a nice, creamy beverage to ease the burn.

**Soy Sauce Eggs**

A delicious addition to nearly any soup and/or a stand alone snack in the small hours of the morning for protein-craving game design students. There’s always a batch in the refrigerator.

**Prep Time:** Variable

**Cook Time:** Variable

**Yields:** Variable

**For the marinade:**

1 cup water

1 cup soy sauce

½ cup sake

¼ cup mirin

2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

2 scallions, trimmed and roughly chopped

1 ounce ginger, skin on, crushed

Add all ingredients to a saucepan and bring to a boil over high eat. Remove from the heat and allow to come to room temperature. Once cooked, add to your storage/marinading vessel.

**For the eggs:**

Fill a saucepan with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Once the water has boiled, reduce heat to medium.

Using a push pin or other thin, sharp implement, make a small hole in the bottom, rounded end of each egg. Be careful not to break the shell elsewhere.

Gently place the eggs in the boiling water. Cook for five minutes (for a runny yolk) to seven minutes (for a firmer but still soft yolk). For the first two minutes of cooking, use a spoon or a cooking chopstick to spin the eggs in the saucepan.

Drain the hot water and place the saucepan under cold running water. When the eggs are cool, peel and add to the marinade. Marinade in the refrigerator for twelve hours. Eggs will keep for at least a week, though you’re likely to devour them all well before then.

**Homemade La-Yu/Japanese Chili Oil**

A common condiment, La-Yu is usually added to dishes to increase the spiciness/heat level, generally in ramen or as a dipping sauce for dumplings.

**Prep Time:** Approximately ten minutes

**Cook Time:** Approximately ten minutes

**Yield:** Approximately ¾ cup

½ cup neutrally flavored oil (vegetable, canola)

¼ cup toasted sesame oil plus one tablespoon

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 scallion, green parts only, chopped

1 - 2 slices ginger

¼ to ⅓ cup medium-hot to hot chile peppers, diced or the same amount of chile flakes

  1. Heat vegetable oil, sesame oil, garlic, green onion, and ginger in a saucepan over medium heat until the oil begins to smoke.

  1. Reduce the heat to low. Add diced chiles/chile flakes and cook for five minutes, stirring gently.

  1. Remove from heat and add your tablespoon of reserved toasted sesame oil. Allow to steep until fully cool.

  1. Strain out solids and pour the oil into your storage container. Ready to use immediately and will keep for 1 to 2 weeks.

  
  


** _Desserts_ **

  
  


**Pumpkin Empanadas**

One of Sweetwater’s dessert specialties, these sweets are a favorite of the entire Shimada-Correia-Song-Tekhartha household, who frequently order a takeout box to eat warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a mug of hot chocolate.

**Prep Time:** Approximately one and a half hours

**Cook Time:** Approximately forty minutes

**Yield:** Sixteen servings

**For the filling:**

1 tablespoon butter

¾ cup dark brown sugar

1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

Zest of one orange

Juice of ½ orange (eat the other half of the orange)

  1. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the brown sugar and cook for three minutes, stirring often.
  2. Add the remaining ingredients except for the orange zest and orange juice, stirring to incorporate, and cook for three minutes, stirring occasionally.
  3. Remove from heat. Stir in the orange zest and orange juice. Transfer the filling to a mixing bowl, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and refrigerate. Allow the mixture to cool completely.

**For the dough:**

3 cups all-purpose flour

½ cup granulated white sugar

1 pinch salt

2 sticks cold butter, grated -- do not use margarine!

2 large eggs

1 large egg white, separated

2 tablespoons cold water

4 tablespoons turbinado sugar

  1. In a food processor, mix together the flour, white sugar, and salt. Add the water, eggs, and butter and pulse until a clumpy dough forms. If not using a food processor, mix ingredients in a large bowl and use two forks or a pastry cutter to incorporate the liquid ingredients.
  2. Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and knead into a ball. Cut the ball into sixteen segments and roll each segment into a ball using your hands.
  3. Cover a baking sheet in parchment paper. Reflour your work surface if necessary. Using a rolling pin, roll each pastry ball into a disk about six to seven inches in diameter on your floured work surface. Place these disks on your baking sheet, placing a layer of parchment paper between each layer of disks. Once you have all sixteen disks prepared, cover the baking sheet in plastic wrap and refrigerate for fifteen minutes.
  4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Reflour your work surface if necessary. Remove your materials from the refrigerator.
  5. Spread out your pastry disks on the floured work surface. Place a heaping spoonful of filling on one half of each pastry disk. Fold the disks over, matching edges, and seal the edges using the tines of a fork. Transfer your proto-empanadas to two baking sheets, brush with egg white, and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.
  6. Bake 25 - 30 minutes until the pastry is lightly browned. Allow to cool slightly on a cooling rack.

Best served still warm from the oven, with coffee or hot chocolate.

  
  


** _Drinks_ **

  
  


**Ranger Jesse McCree’s Citrus Salt Lick Beverage**

The high desert can take a lot out of a body, particularly when that body spends a good bit of his time rescuing intrepid tourists, helping local folks out of jams, and chasing otherworldly monstrosities away from all of the above. Jesse keeps a pitcher of this constantly on hand.

**Herbal Tea Base:**

2 tablespoons raspberry leaf

1 tablespoon hibiscus flowers

2 teaspoons orange peel

2 teaspoons lemon peel

2 teaspoons rose hips

1 teaspoon lemongrass

1 teaspoon chamomile flowers

Gather dried herbs in a muslin bag and place in pitcher. Add three cups of hot but not boiling water, steeping for at least 7 to 10 minutes. Scoop out the muslin bag, squeeze out the last of the liquid, and let the tea come to room temperature. Once it has, add:

2 cups of fresh water or coconut water (if you feel you need additional potassium in your mix)

1 cup fresh squeezed orange juice

2 tablespoons raw honey

1 teaspoon sea salt

Mix until honey and salt are fully dissolved. Refrigerate. Drink whenever electrolytes require replenishment.

  
  


**Ana’s SERENITY NOW Lavender Lemonade**

An alchemist and healer of deep knowledge and great skill, Ana has developed numerous tricks over the years to help her clients, particularly those dealing with greater than average life stresses. This infusion, which can be prepared in several different ways, is one of them developed specifically for Jack Morrison, whose worries are many.

6 cups water

½ cup sugar

¼ cup honey

3 tablespoons dried culinary lavender

2 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice

  1. Over medium heat, combine 2 cups of water and the sugar. Heat until the sugar has dissolved, bringing the mixture to a boil. Remove from heat, stir in the honey and lavender. Allow the mixture to infuse for at least two hours. Strain out the flowers in a fine mesh sieve, pressing carefully to extract all the syrup.

  1. In a pitcher, add the lemon juice, lavender syrup, and remaining water. Stir to combine. To make the mixture carbonated, add sparkling water instead of still. To make the mixture a bit less tart, add a teaspoon of vanilla extract. To make the mixture alcoholic, add a shot of vodka to each glass before pouring.

  
  


**Ana’s Sleepytime Tea**

A variation on the tea Ana blended for Hanzo, minus the essential magical ingredients that promote spiritual healing and potential involuntary astral projection. ^_^

4 tablespoons loose rooibos

3 tablespoons chamomile flowers

1 tablespoon linden flowers

2 teaspoons lavender flowers

2 teaspoons catnip

2 teaspoons lemon balm

¼ teaspoon hops

Optional:

⅛ teaspoon ground valerian root*

Place your ingredients in an opaque, airtight container. Mix thoroughly and store in a cool, dry place out of direct light. Consume within six months.

Dosage: to prepare one cup, fill an individual-sized tea bell or strainer with the mixture and steep for five minutes in water that is hot but not boiling. Do not oversteep, particularly if including valerian root, as doing so can extract strong bitter flavors. Sweeten with honey.

**Important health note:** Valerian root is a strong natural sedative that enhances the sedative qualities of other herbs, medications, and substances, including antidepressants, narcotic painkillers, other sleep aids (such as melatonin), and alcohol. It  _ may _ interact with and/or interfere with the function of prescription medications. It is not known to be habit forming. Consult with your physician before adding this herb to any tea blend.

  
  


**Lucio’s Delicious Brazilian Limeade**

In the spirit of cultural exchange, after Hanzo terrorized the entire household by eating microwaved natto for the first time, Lucio whipped this drink together and served it on the back patio while everyone was still recovering from the trauma.

**Prep Time:** Approximately one half hour

**Cook Time:** N/A

**Yields:** Approximately ten servings

8 fresh limes, zested and juiced

9 cups cold water

8 ounces of sweetened condensed milk

In a large pitcher, combine all ingredients and mix well. Serve immediately.

Alternatively: combine all ingredients with six cups of ice in place of water in a food processor and blend until combined. Serve immediately.

  
  


**Café de Ollo**

A special beverage that Gabe serves on the holidays, and he always leaves an offering of it on his ancestor altar on the Dias de los Muertos.

**Prep Time:** Approximately five minutes

**Cook Time:** Approximately ten minutes

**Yield:** Four servings

4 cups water

3 ounces piloncillo, roughly chopped or ⅓ cup dark brown sugar, packed

½ stick Mexican cinnamon

4 tablespoons coffee, preferably a Mexican dark roast

  1. Place your water, cinnamon, and piloncillo or brown sugar into a saucepan over medium heat. Simmer until the piloncillo or brown sugar is fully dissolved.

  1. Once the water reaches a boil, add the coffee and stir. Remove from the heat, cover, and allow to steep for five minutes.

  1. Strain out the solids using a fine mesh sieve and serve with warmed milk.

To make alcoholic, serve with a shot of kahlua or other coffee-flavored liqueur.

  
  


**Mexican Hot Chocolate**

Hana’s favorite cold weather beverage, bittersweet and spicy.

**Prep Time:** Approximately five minutes

**Cook Time:** Approximately ten minutes

**Yield:** Two normal servings or one Hana-sized serving

2 cups milk

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon chili powder

⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1 ounce bittersweet chocolate, grated

  1. Grate your bittersweet chocolate.

  1. In a saucepan, combine your milk, cocoa powder, sugar, cinnamon, chili powder, cayenne pepper, and vanilla. Whisk gently until sugar is dissolved. Begin warming over medium heat, adding the bittersweet chocolate as the mixture begins to steam, whisking gently until the chocolate is fully dissolved. **_Do not allow the mixture to boil._**

Serve with marshmallows, whipped cream, chocolate shavings, or a cinnamon stick, but usually not all four.  _ Usually. _

  
  


** _A Little Taste of Magic_ **

  
  


**The World’s Simplest Ward**

If you feel the need to seal a room against negative forces in haste, you will need the following items: a handful of pennies or other copper coinage and salt. Purists will insist that the salt should be sea salt but  _ any _ salt will serve the purpose and the pennies/copper coins do not have to be shiny and new but should preferably not be corroded. Place one penny/copper coin in each corner of the room. Using the salt, draw a solid, unbroken line across the threshold of each door and window in the room. This will bar the entry of most forms of generalized malice and ill-intent and will even deflect focused magical antagonism within reason. For protection from sustained assault, you will eventually require a stronger and more robust defense.

\-- Reinhardt Wilhelm, runemaster and wardcrafter

  
  


**Incense To Cleanse and Purify**

Creating a properly sanctified space, or even to clear one’s dwelling of remnant negative energies caused by the stresses of daily life, sometimes requires fumigation. These blends have worked for my family and those of my clients for decades now, though my daughter might argue the point.

\-- Dr. Ana Amari, herbalist, alchemist.

**General Cleansing:**

2 parts frankincense tears

1 part white copal tears

¼ teaspoon sandalwood powder

1 pinch finely ground sea salt

2 - 3 drops lavender essential oil -- real essential oil, not a synthetic fragrance oil

Grind the frankincense and copal into a rough powder with a mortar and pestle, pour into your storage container. Add sandalwood powder, salt, and lavender essential oil, mix thoroughly. Burn by pinches on a charcoal block. Store in a cool, dark place.

**Cleansing and Purification:**

3 parts cedar, chipped or ground

2 parts benzoin powder

2 parts frankincense tears

2 parts myrrh tears

1 part dragonsblood tears

1 pinch sea salt

2 - 3 drops rose or geranium essential oil -- the essential oil not a synthetic fragrance oil

Cedar is not a wood resin but a wood itself and can be acquired in shaped cedar dust bricks, which can be broken up using a mortar and pestle. To the cedar dust, add your frankincense, myrrh, and dragonsblood resins, and grind into a rough powder. Pour into your storage vessel. Add powdered benzoin, sea salt, and essential oil. Mix thoroughly. Burn in pinches on a charcoal block. Store in a cool dark place.

  
  


**Baby’s First Candle Spell**

Crack open any book of ‘witchcraft’ that you want, and you’ll find a fuckton of charts about crystals and color correspondences and all sorts of other bullshit designed to separate people from their money. I am here to tell you that you can, in fact, ignore all that bullshit and also there are exactly two things that matter when it comes to crafting a spell: the power of your  _ intent _ and the power of your  _ will. _ When crafting a candle spell, you are turning the candle into the focal point of both, realized in the flame.

Step one:  _ articulate your intent. _ No if-then statements. No flights of fantasy about bringing about world peace or banishing all evil. Keep it simple, focused, precise.  _ No harm shall come by hand or weapon or magic to the place where this flame burns. _

Step two: select your candle.  _ The color of your candles does not actually fucking matter. _ Do not let anyone tell you otherwise. It’s better that you  _ not _ use pre-scented candles because that shit is mostly synthetic fragrance and the smell will irritate you  _ way _ before the candle is finished burning. I use mostly black and red candles because I  _ like _ those colors. As long as it’s got a wick and doesn’t stink like an explosion in a vanilla factory, you’ll be good.

Step three: dress your candle. This is completely optional but can help increase the power of your spell. You can use essential oils -- real essential oils, not synthetic crap or ‘magickal spell oils’ which mostly exist to, again, separate you from your money. Mix a drop or four of frankincense or copaiba oil in a teaspoon of your favorite carrier oil, mix with a toothpick, and apply from the root to the tip of your candle with your fingertips. Alternatively, grind a couple pinches of rosemary and mint in a mortar and pestle, then mix with a pinch of powdered cinnamon, copal, and/or frankincense, warm the skin of your candle with a wand lighter, and roll the candle in your herbs.

Step four: burn your candle. Find a place where you can sit quietly to conduct your casting. Clear your mind of distractions. Fix your intent. Verbalize your intent. Light your candle. Let it burn completely. Preferably, burn your candle on a plate that accumulates the wax in a medallion which will, itself, be a powerful magical object that can be reused in amulet making. But that’s a lesson for another time.

\-- Gabriel Reyes, Major USMC ret., _ brujo. _

  
  


**Basic Salve Recipes**

Salves are among the most useful magical substances in a craftworker’s pharmacopeia, customizable to cover a wide variety of needs from healing to protection to aiding in meditation or the induction of visions. In eras past, individuals accused of witchcraft were said to render the fat of human infants and mix it with magical herbs to produce an ointment that they used to fly. This is, broadly speaking, a slander and a calumny -- however, the operative principal is sound as the basic ingredients of most salves and ointments are an oil/fat, beeswax, and an herbal component.

The very simplest salve in my personal repertoire is a jar of coconut oil (something of a misnomer, as coconut oil is a saturated vegetable fat that is usually solid at room temperature) mixed with a spoonful or two of herb-infused carrier oil or twenty drops of steam-extracted essential oil (true essential oil, not a “fragrance oil,” which is synthetic and lacks appreciable magical or medical properties). Coconut oil in itself is magically “neutral” and possesses generally salubrious qualities when applied to the skin by itself, so any additives merely enhance its pre-existing properties.

A more involved version of this recipe:

½ cup oil -- either an herb-infused oil or a high-smoke-point carrier oil of your choosing

½ ounce beeswax, chopped or broken into small pieces

1 teaspoon of jojoba oil (optional)

20 drops of your choice of essential oil (optional if using an herb-infused oil otherwise the primary magical vehicle)

  
  


Gently warm the oil over low heat, add the beeswax one teaspoon at a time and stir gently until completely melted. Add your teaspoon of jojoba oil and your drops of essential oil, swirling gently into the mixture. Pour your salve into its storage container and allow to cool completely before you put on the lid. Jojoba oil is not actually an oil but a wax that is liquid at room temperature and which helps stabilize and extend the life of your salve blend, preventing it from going rancid in high temperatures. Beeswax is a natural anchor and binding agent for many things, from herbal mixtures to magical intentions, its warm color and soothing natural scent one of the most reassuring things you can bring into your personal practice.

Dr. Tekhartha Zenyatta, healer.

  
  


**Herb Infused Oils**

Like salves, oils have a long and storied history in many magical practices, being both the origin point of many healthful and baneful substances and the carrier of many sorts of magic, beneficent and malignant. As with salves, an infused oil is quite simple to make and customize to one’s needs, and various oils with various properties both medical and magical are used to produce them.

Common oils include:

Olive oil, found in almost every kitchen, readily available otherwise, rich in skin-nourishing nutrients and magically neutral though it does have its own fairly noticeable scent. If using this oil, use cold-pressed extra-virgin and make certain the bottler is one that provides actually pure olive oil not a blend.

Sweet almond oil, widely used in both massage oils and perfumery, nourishing and soothing to the skin, perfect for both annointing and lubrication.

Safflower oil, very light compared to other oils, soothing and anti-inflammatory in nature, virtually scentless.

Jojoba oil, a wax naturally liquid at room temperature which mimics the oils found in human skin, does not go rancid, and which prevents other oil blends to which it is added from going rancid. Antioxidant, lubricious, and protective of broken skin.

Grapeseed oil, like jojoba an antioxidant but a true oil that does not go rancid and can extend the life of blends to which it is added, extremely light, and a delicate green in shade. Can be irritating to broken or delicate skin, not recommended for lubrication blends.

The most basic recipe:

A pint-sized mason jar with lid

Fresh or dried herbs of your choosing

An infusing oil of your choosing

For fresh herbs, loosely fill the jar three quarters full and fill it to the top with your oil. Close the lid and place on a sunny windowsill. Steep for two weeks, swirling gently twice a day. Strain your oil through a fine mesh sieve into your storage vessel, pressing gently to extract as much oil as possible, then label and  _ date _ your mixture. If you did not use jojoba oil as your carrier, you may safely add a teaspoon to your blend to extend its shelf life. 

For dried herbs, grind three teaspoons of your desired herbs and place in a small glass baking pan. Cover to the depth of one or two inches with your desired carrier oil. Bake at 170 to 200 degrees in the oven, stirring occasionally, for 4 to 6 hours. Allow to cool and strain through a fine mesh sieve into your storage vessel. Again, if you did not use jojoba as your carrier oil you may add a teaspoon to extend its shelf life. Label and date your mixture.

Most infused oils will last at least three months stored in a cool dark place, longer if jojoba oil is used as the carrier or an extender. Discard immediately if the blend begins to smell rancid.

\-- Dr. Tekhartha Zenyatta, healer.

  
  


**Our New Household’s Kamidana**

The kamidana at Shimada Castle is an entire room of its own, holding as it does the household shrine to Lord Minamikaze and Lord Kitakaze, as well as the subsidiary shrines for our honored ancestors.  _ All _ of our honored ancestors. ( _ We have a completely unreasonable number of honored ancestors. There. I said it. -- GS _ ) We never quite had the room to set up a kamidana at the condo -- such things require a certain amount of dedicated space and with five people occupying an area likely intended for no more than three...Well. You see the problem.

The new houses in Cerrillos, however, have more than enough space for us and all of our things, and so we decided that it was time, particularly given recent events. 

Great-Grandmother Sumiko was good enough to give us the ofuda and omiya for Lord Kitakaze and Lord Minamikaze and I made the ones for Lady Sakuya and Lady Tatsuya. Zen donated the console table we used as the base -- placing it high on a wall in our chosen space was problematic for a variety of reasons. ( _ You can just say Lu and I are short-asses, Hanzo, it’s okay. -- HS _ ) Hana gave the bowls for the votary offerings of salt, rice, and water, and Lucio the vases to hold the sakaki branches -- and, since we had no sakaki and didn’t want to use plastic, Jesse brought us a branch of cedar and a branch of juniper to use instead, as both are evergreen. Gabe provided a pair of wrought iron candle holders and the white candles to go with them, and Ana and Reinhardt gave the shinkyō, the polished metal mirror. I will likely never know where Jack found proper heishi bottles but the sake come from the hacienda’s wine cellar. Over a few days, Genji and I braided the shimenawa from rice straw our parents sent us and folded the shide to hang on the omiya.

Once the base structure was complete, we set our individual offerings and talismans: a small ceramic frog, bright green, that his grandmother gave him before he left home; one of Hana’s mother’s service insignia that she kept with her always; a bronze incense burner, very old but still usable, cast in the shape of an owl, that I remembered seeing once in Zen’s office; a bracelet of ghost beads, silver, and turquoise that was the first protective charm Jesse made with his own hands; the first demon-breaking arrow I made when we returned home; the magatama Lord Kitakaze gave to Genji in the wolf-mothers’ vale. At some point thereafter, someone added another offering plate for fruit and cakes on special occasions and a box of our daily incense,  _ kyo-nishiki. _

Since we established it, I have found nearly every member of our family there at one time or another, lighting the incense, refreshing the offerings, meditating quietly, speaking to the gods or their ancestors. Occasionally, I think I have caught glimpses of them in the mirror -- I know I have seen Lord Kitakaze’s eye, watching over us, and a fierce, fearless woman I can only assume is Hana’s mother. We are, all of us, even Zen, far more at peace than we have been since those awful days in October.

\-- Shimada Hanzo,  _ Ōkami  _

  
  


** _Author Acknowledgements_ **

  
  


My profoundest thanks to all the friends who assisted and encouraged me in this endeavor over the years, both the writing of  _ Ghost Stories On Route 66 _ and the production of this special little side project.

I would also like to acknowledge the sources of several of my recipes.

Firstly, the book:

_ Japanese Soul Cooking: Ramen, Tonkatsu, Tempura and More _ by Tadashi Ono and Harris Salat

And, secondly, the following websites:

The Hippy Homemaker:  [ https://www.thehippyhomemaker.com/ ](https://www.thehippyhomemaker.com/)

Just One Cookbook:  [ https://www.justonecookbook.com/ ](https://www.justonecookbook.com/)

My Korean Kitchen:  [ https://mykoreankitchen.com/ ](https://mykoreankitchen.com/)

  
  
  
  



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